Mahindra XUV 500 | Review | Price and Specification | Features | Model | Latest | Upcoming Cars | New Technology

Indian carmaker Mahindra seems to have decided to put the country on global scenario with its global design based new SUV - Mahindra XUV 500. With this car in, Mahindra’s SUV offering touches the famous five figure.

The US $12.5 billion Mahindra Group has a fleet of SUVs in India and it has given some of the sturdiest and performance driven cars in India. Prominent among it was iconic Mahindra Jeep that had ruled Indian rural roads for decades. Later, Mahindra SUVs became more comfortable and powerful as well.


The recent addition, Mahindra XUV 500 is an all-new avatar by Mahindra and it takes global design signaling across the globe presence expectation. The XUV 500 by Mahindra is a global standard SUV that is going to embark the company on a world-wide platform. Originally codenamed Mahindra W201, the XUV 500 received its name recently before its launch on September 29.

Pronounced as Mahindra XUV 500 with the last to ‘00’ pronounced as alphabet ‘OO’, it symbolizes activeness and the agility besides the quickness it has as an SUV. Mahindra has arrived at the design of this SUV after an intensive research and survey that is said to have been conducted in various western markets besides India. Apart from this, the SUV also has been tested to be perfect on many destinations including Europe, Australia and South Africa. After launch in India, the Mahindra XUV 500 will be marketed in South Africa.  

Besides the design, Mahindra XUV 500 features a unique exterior styling, an array of technologies that is nowhere visible in the SUVs already in place by Mahindra. In addition, the global design brings with it the global standards as well in this SUV. Mahindra’s Research Valley engineers have burnt their midnight oil to make this happen and it is with the help of their efforts that XUV 500 is able to be developed on global standards.        

The aerodynamic monocoque design based SUV Mahindra XUV 500 is entirely different from the traditionally designed cars. Contrary to the conventional design in which the car is made of a frame and then it is covered with lightweight metal sheets, the XUV 500 body is a single piece body in which the body and chassis are one piece. The monocoque design of the XUV 500 is also known as single shell design.

It also has the first-ever transversely placed engine that has increased the passenger space inside and has also improved safety in case of an impact besides a larger crumple zone. Thus Mahindra XUV is much safer and crash resistant than any of the other Mahindra SUV offering. Land Rover LR2 Freelander and Volvo cars employ transversely placed engine in their cars.

Such first in the class features make this SUV at par with global standards. Incorporating such features has made XUV 500 to compete with global SUVs in terms of global norms, safety regulations and emission standards. In India, XUV 500 will create its own unique space and is place above Mahindra Scorpio and the big SUV daddies in India.

Mahindra XUV 500 has 2179cc mHawk engine of Mahindra Scorpio inside that helps this SUV challenge any terrain globally. The Common Rail Diesel engine produces 140bhp which is enough to cruise the XUV 500 on road or off-road. Most noteworthy is the torque which is 330Nm that lets the new SUV to move around easily even in snail-paced city traffic.

There is a six-speed manual gearbox in XUV 500 with a torque on demand mechanism. There are two variants as far as transmission is concerned – XUV 500 two-wheel drive model and XUV 500 four-wheel drive model. Micro-hybrid technology for better fuel efficiency is also in place in this new SUV.

Engine Capacity & Performance

Mahindra XUV 500 engine is a 2179cc mHawk type. It has the maximum power out of 140bhp at 3750 rpm besides a maximum torque capacity of 330Nm at 1600-2800rpm. The engine is based on a direct injection technology with Variable Geometry Turbocharger that makes it more powerful than the mHawk engine in Mahindra Scorpio. The XUV 500 has a six speed manual gearbox making it suitable for Indian conditions; an automatic version may come up on the international edition. The gearbox has been developed in house by Mahindra.

The engine has Micro Hybrid technology in place making it more fuel efficient than other Mahindra SUVs in India. The engine performs well on road and off the road equally and with the All-Wheel drive option, the XUV 500 is capable of challenging any terrain. A two-wheel drive model is also available on Mahindra XUV 500.

Power

A 2179cc mHawk diesel engine that currently powers Mahindra Scorpio powers the Mahindra XUV 500 as well. The CRDi engine is capable of producing 140 bhp of maximum power and a maximum torque of 330 Nm. The 2.2L engine is able to produce 140 Bhp (103kW) at just 3750 rpm and it produces the torque of 330 Nm at as low as 1600-2800 rpm. This low rpm makes Mahindra XUV 500 challenge any off-road and the city traffic as well. It has a 6-speed manual transmission and there is no automatic transmission option available on the XUV 500.

Mileage, Average And Fuel Economy

Despite being loaded with 140bhp power, XUV 500 is still frugal. Mahindra XUV 500 Mileage is 12kmpl in the city and 14 kmpl on the highways. ARAI certified mileage on the highway is 15.1 kmpl. Fuel tank capacity of this new Mahindra SUV is 70 litres.

Acceleration & Pick-Up

With a 140bhp engine, XUV 500 has a top speed of 185kmph. It sprints from 0 to 100kmph in just 17 second which is an impressive acceleration for an SUV of this size and weight. The six speed manual gearbox in the SUV coupled with the 4WD or All-wheel drive (AWD) enables the XUV 500 to take on any terrain with ease.

Wheels

Mahindra XUV 500 runs on all alloy wheels. The five-spoke 17 inch alloy wheels have a tyre size of P235/65 R17 which are radial and tubeless. There is a spare wheel that has been hidden just below the boot. Mahindra XUV 500 also has Tyre Tronics system that monitors the tyre pressure and warns if there is a significant decrease in tyre pressure thus ensuring perfect air in the tyres and greater mileage and safety.

Braking & Handling

With a mammoth power underneath, styling and a torque rich engine, one will surely stretch it to its top-speed and knowing this, Mahindra has fitted a robust braking mechanism in the XUV 500. Both the front and rear brakes are disk & caliper type.

The suspension system is designed on the basis of a monocoque design and all the four wheels have independent suspension to give the occupants an untiring comfort and so that even the larger potholes on Indian roads do not worry XUV 500. The front has a McPherson type with anti-roll bar and the rear suspension is a Multilink type with anti-roll bar.

Handling the Mahindra XUV 500 is far easier that any of Mahindra’s SUVs. It has a turning radius of only 5.6m and with a high torque at low rpm engine, it works well in the city and with 140bhp power it runs well on the highways as well. The powerful engine also enables the 2450 Kg SUV to move around in an agile manner.

In addition to an effective both disc braking system, the XUV 500 also has Anti-lock Braking system that ensures that the car brakes do not lock even in times of panic braking. There is also an Electronic Stability Program that keeps Mahindra XUV 500 on track even on curvy turns. Furthermore, XUV 500 also has Hill Hold and Hill Descent control making it suitable even for hilly areas. With the ESP in it, climbing or descending from a hill is no uphill task for XUV 500.

Handling & Safety

Mahindra SUVs in India have brown much bigger, smarter, economic and safer in the yesteryears. With constant technological updations and introduction of new technologies in its cars, Mahindra has made its SUV to perform well and to keep its passengers safe.

There are a lot of safety features on Mahindra XUV 500 that makes it almost invincible. The foremost is the monocoque design that has not only made the cabin more spacious but safe as well. Besides, there are dual airbags both for the driver and the front passenger. I addition to it there are also side & curtain airbags along with side impact beams to keep the occupants safe from side impacts. There is robust crumple zone to protect the car and the passengers from a crash. Tubeless tyres ensure that the SUV can handle any terrain. Furthermore, all disc brakes with ABS, EBD ensure efficient braking of the SUV.

For the XUV 500 big size is not a minus at times of parking thanks to the Intellipark system installed in it that helps park the vehicle with ease even in cramped parking lots. Furthermore, in order to ensure full visibility through the windscreen, the XUV 500 has smart wipers that wipe clean the windscreen whenever there is water on the screen or if there is rain. The headlamps too on Mahindra XUV 500 are intelligent and these turn on whenever it is dark or of the car enters a tunnel or a dark space.

In order to keep the SUV safe from unwanted visitors or thieves, XUV 500 has digital immobilizer that ensures that it starts only with a genuine key. So, contrary to sleepless nights of Mahindra Bolero users, XUV 500 owners can have sound sleep as it protects itself from thieves. Mahindra XUV 500 steering has stereo (on the left) and cruise controls (on the right) mounted on it. There is also a Cruise on/off button the steering.

Stereo & Accessories

The new Mahindra car keeps its passengers happy, safe and entertained well with its power, safety features and the advanced audio system. Besides the XUV 500 has a 6-inch monochrome DIS infotainment system (color touchscreen on the XUV 500 W8 4WD) that keeps all the information regarding the car, music and other stats. It is voice command activated.

The XUV 500 comes with CD/MP3 player on the base variant and there is a DVD Player on the W8 and W8 4WD. An iPod can also be connected to the music system. Volume control of the music system is also there on the steering. The car comes with integrated four speakers, one on each door apart from two tweeters on the dashboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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